Open Topic

Topic: Open Topic
Country: Argentina
Delegate Name: Matt Harmon
School: Royal Oak High School

For our open topic, Argentina believes that the current situation in Thailand should be addressed. Over the past eight years, Thailand’s people have seen two separate coups d’état (a sudden decisive exercise of force in politics) and is currently in a state of martial law (control of an area by military forces rather than by the police). We have seen recently that many human rights violations have occurred in the country including a nationwide curfew (that has since been lifted), a ban on political gatherings, control of the media, and Internet censorship. We must solve this crisis before it escalates to unmanageable heights.

As for questions to consider, there are four. How should the United Nations respond to the current political situation in Thailand? Is Thailand’s frequent use of military coups justifiable? Thailand seems to believe that it is working towards a new and better political system. Is the newly instated government in Thailand committing human rights violations against its citizens? We must analyze the current press releases and information sources. Should individual members of the international community intervene? Do they have the right given the current situation? Argentina believes that the situation must be handled by the UN as a whole and not by a few choice countries.

Argentina believes that it is the UN’s place to intervene in the current situation. Thailand cannot be left to its own devices like it has been for many years. We must address the civil rights atrocities first. Whether we delegate it to another committee or discuss it there is up to the committee but we have to debate the topic in general. UN Resolution 60/251 established the Human Rights Council so it might be a good solution to delegate the topic to that specific committee. Argentina would be pleased with either method.

Topic: Open Topic
Country: Chad
Delegate Name: Henry Atkins
School: Grand Rapids City High School

The Republic of Chad requests that time be made to discuss the Boko Haram insurgency, which is destabilizing the region and poses a significant threat to the global community. While Boko Haram may at first appear to be only a regional problem, the group is ruthless and has in fact slaughtered thousands. Its goal is the establishment of an Islamic caliphate and, as a result, the group aims to erase many of the borders of African nations. The Republic of Chad views this group as a dire threat, one that must be dealt with speedily and with great force. Given the extreme power of the United Nations as well as the obligations of the Security Council, it would be highly beneficial to discuss ways to stop Boko Haram from spreading as well as to diminish its influence. Currently, Boko Haram has a significant economic impact, slowing trade in central Africa and hurting Nigerian infrastructure. However, the human toll is much higher. Thousands have died and refugees both inside and outside of Nigeria are on the rise. Just recently, following the abduction of a sizable group of girls from a Nigerian village, the group returned to and conquered that village. Many of the residents had already fled out of fear. Guilty of horrible human rights violations and establishing a reign of terror in Nigeria, Boko Haram represents a huge problem not just for Nigeria but for the international community. The Republic of Chad sees no way that the United Nations can ignore these issues while claiming to be a legitimate international body with the goal of establishing world peace.

Topic: Open Topic
Country: Chile
Delegate Name: Harrison Watson
School: Flint Southwestern Classical Academy

The Veto power enjoyed by the five victors of World War Two has become a source of conflict in the Security Council. Many nations feel that the veto power is an unfair advantage, and it makes the five nations with the veto able to unfairly evade and suppress international criminal charges as well as constructive resolutions that counter their interests. The most powerful nations in the world have no fair system of checks and balances on which they can be made equal to the rest of the Security Council. Creating a more inclusive Security Council, free of the hurdle that the veto often presents is the vision of Chile.

Cases such as the Crimean conflict are impossible to tackle when the perpetrators of these actions, such as Russia, are involved. In the cases of crimes against humanity, war crimes, and genocide or ethnic cleansing, the use of a veto can cripple the Security Council’s ability to resolve issues. In putting that kind of power into the hands of the victors, we adopt a very archaic mentality that assumes that a victor will always be in the right, and forget that the veto can be abused, especially in this ever growing international community. The concerns of any group that are brought before the Security Council are at the mercy of a variety of conflicting ideals at times, and it leads to a deconstructive environment where the wills of one nation can be imposed onto others, through the use of veto. A resolution aimed at true reform won’t grant a veto to any nation, it would encourage nations to abstain from using the veto, or simply abolish it, and give more inclusive membership to nations, in order to ensure a more inclusive and constructive environment. The veto can be replaced with a rationale of quorum that can be used in decisions of paramount import. Barring the abolition of the veto, the power of the veto should be decreased and easier to circumvent in the end, along with a more inclusive system of representation.

Topic: Open Topic
Country: Luxembourg
Delegate Name: Jack H. Somers
School: Saginaw Arts and Sciences Academy

Luxembourg believes that a prudent use of the United Nations Security Council’s time would be to discuss the possibility of amending the state of the United Nation’s peacekeeping forces. Currently, many nations are unhappy with the conduct of members of the DPKO and the nation of Luxembourg is sympathetic towards their claims. While useful in humanitarian efforts, there have been many reported cases of child sexual abuse and forced prostitution by members of the DPKO. The debate here would be to either work towards decreasing the power of this body or to create a stricter registration process. The nation of Luxembourg feels that the latter is a better option as it would still allow us to retain our effectiveness while hopefully reducing the amount of violence directed towards the people we are trying to help. Psychological exams have been used by militaries for decades and we believe that they could be applied to great effect here. Background checks are essential to creating a stable workforce and in this case the more stringent, the better. Resolution 1327 passed by the Security Council in 2000 set much of the groundwork for moving towards a more disciplined peacekeeping force. Luxembourg believes that we could pass another resolution that adds on to this previous one. Clauses could include mandates that Member States relinquish all information regarding candidates to the DPKO. Luxembourg hopes this issue can be discussed at length to improve how the United Nations operates.

Topic: Open Topic
Country: Russia
Delegate Name: Tyler DeMars
School: Mattawan High School

An issue that the Russian delegation would like to see debated is the possibility of a North Korean government with nuclearized weapons. Clearly a nation as unstable as this one presents a threat to the world if it is able to develop functioning long range nuclear missiles. Due to the fact that Russia shares a border with North Korea, we take interest in the nation and its issues. Because of Its central location, the nuclearized missile capability would put many nations in the region at risk, such as Japan, China, and of course South Korea. The longstanding conflict between North Korea and its neighbor, South korea, puts the nation of South Korea especially at risk, as tensions between the two countries can rise and fall at the drop of a pin. The north Korean government has a history of being unpredictable, sometimes to the point of carelessness, in its decisions, and some of their missile tests have put South Korea on high alert. With the recent situation regarding the disappearance and then re appearance of the North Korean leader, Kim Jong Un, it is clear that the nation may not yet be able to handle nuclear missile capability.

The ability to launch nuclear missiles is an extraordinary power that our world is now burdened with. This power should be controlled and kept in the hands of nations with the means to carefully secure said weaponry. The delegation of Russia would like to see this issue debated further for there is the very real possibility that it could escalate into a crucial matter of importance in the coming years.

Topic: Open Topic
Country: United Kingdom
Delegate Name: Audrey Gilmour
School: Flint Southwestern Classical Academy

Trade is one of the oldest businesses on the planet and since boats were created, trade has been able to span from one corner to another and unite unexpected countries. More recently the global network has exploded with globalization through media and networking. Trade is easier to arrange between any nation and the global market continues to expand. However, due to the increase in globalization, inflation, and failing economies, trade has become expensive. Trade tariffs have become overly expensive and difficult to maintain for nations with few natural resources that make international trade necessary.

The United Kingdom, as a fairly small set of islands with very few resources and poor agricultural conditions, relies heavily on international trade to supply resources to its people. In fact, the United Kingdom is the fifth largest country of trade in the world. Due to this dependency on trade, the United Kingdom has a vested interest in seeing the process made easier and cheaper. Small tariffs and tariff peaks create unstable economic environments for countries that rely heavily on trade like the United Kingdom and small nations which often struggle to be able to afford the larger tariffs.

The United Kingdom would like to see global trade made even easier and more affordable. Nuisance tariffs of two percent or less are simply unnecessary and inconsistency in tariff amounts harms the global economy. More interconnections between unions such as the European Union and the Arab Union along with greater inclusion of non-union members will create a better market for trade between all nations.